IS kills people trying to flee Iraq town

The Islamic State group has killed several residents attempting to flee Hawijah, officers and local officials said Friday, as Iraqi forces prepared for an operation against the jihadist-held area. Hawijah and its surroundings are one of the last major areas east of the Tigris still controlled by IS and possibly the next target of the forces battling the jihadists in Iraq. “We heard from them that Daesh (IS) is holding hundreds of families hostage and has executed young men for escaping from the land of jihad (holy war) to the land of the infidels,” he said.